The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved moving to a 4-foot restricted-area arc in the lane for the 2017-18 women’s basketball season. Previously, the restricted-area arc was located 3 feet in front of the basket.

A secondary defender must be outside the arc and in legal guarding position to draw a charge. If the player is in the restricted area when the contact occurs, a block will be called.

The panel also approved allowing teams to choose from which side of the court to inbound the ball after advancing it to the frontcourt after a timeout in the backcourt. Previously, teams had to inbound the ball at the 28-foot line on the side with the scorer’s table.

Other rule changes:

- The “use-it-or-lose-it” timeout in the first half has been eliminated. Coaches are allowed to carry all timeouts over to the second half.

- The 10-second backcourt count will not be reset when the offensive team calls a timeout.

- Officials will be permitted to use replay to determine if the release of the ball on a made basket occurred before the shot clock expired.

- The coach’s box will be extended to 38 feet for the 2017-18 season. Previously, the coach’s box was 28 feet in length. Women’s Basketball Rules Committee members believe this will allow coaches to better communicate with their teams when their players are on the other end of the court.

- A player must place both feet on the floor outside the lane to avoid a three-second violation.

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"The panel also approved allowing teams to choose from which side of the court to inbound the ball after advancing it to the frontcourt after a timeout in the backcourt. Previously, teams had to inbound the ball at the 28-foot line on the side with the scorer’s table. "

Well, there's certainly a solution in desperate search of a problem.

"The coach’s box will be extended to 38 feet for the 2017-18 season. Previously, the coach’s box was 28 feet in length. Women’s Basketball Rules Committee members believe this will allow coaches to better communicate with their teams when their players are on the other end of the court. "

Should we call this the "Kim Mulkey Amendment"?

"A player must place both feet on the floor outside the lane to avoid a three-second violation."

Does this presage even more vigorous "enforcement" of the 3 second rule? Oh boy, just what the game needs.

"The “use-it-or-lose-it” timeout in the first half has been eliminated. Coaches are allowed to carry all timeouts over to the second half."

I thought the goal was to speed up the game, in part by reducing the number of timeouts. So why are we letting teams use four timeouts in the fourth quarter?

"The 10-second backcourt count will not be reset when the offensive team calls a timeout."

I wish they would call 3 seconds more often. Players basically set up camp inside the lane all the time. Maybe if it calls quite a bit at the beginning of the season players will make the adjustment and leave the paint later on so it won't have to be called anymore. That has always driven me crazy. I hate when players are allowed to just camp out in the lane.

The rules committee has to make changes every year to justify their existence

Have there been changes each season, or has the RC slacked off some years?

The NCAA mandated that rule changes only come every other year back in 2010, unless the rule change is player safety related. Prior to that they had made rule changes every year since the NCAA took over WCBB. Since then they've made rule changes every year they could and made safety related rule changes in most of the years they couldn't do anything else.

The rules committee has to make changes every year to justify their existence

Have there been changes each season, or has the RC slacked off some years?

The NCAA mandated that rule changes only come every other year back in 2010, unless the rule change is player safety related. Prior to that they had made rule changes every year since the NCAA took over WCBB. Since then they've made rule changes every year they could and made safety related rule changes in most of the years they couldn't do anything else.

- The 10-second backcourt count will not be reset when the offensive team calls a timeout.

I don't think I ever saw that happen anyway. And while I think the 3-sec. call is missed a good bit, it's not TOO outrageous, in most games. I REALLY hope there's definitive action taken to curb the egregious flopping one sees anymore. Yes, that would be YOU, KLS.

- The 10-second backcourt count will not be reset when the offensive team calls a timeout.

I don't think I ever saw that happen anyway. And while I think the 3-sec. call is missed a good bit, it's not TOO outrageous, in most games. I REALLY hope there's definitive action taken to curb the egregious flopping one sees anymore. Yes, that would be YOU, KLS.